Commissioner Kiker appointed as county TDC chairman

December 20, 2012

The Lee County Board of County Commissioners has appointed Commissioner Larry Kiker as chairman of the Tourist Development Council.

Commissioner Kiker brings more than 35 years of business experience to his position. He and his wife own and operate Lahaina Realty. They are residents of Fort Myers Beach.

Kiker served on the Fort Myers Beach Local Planning Agency and was elected to the Fort Myers Beach Town Council in March 2007. He became vice-mayor in 2007 and mayor from 2008 until October 2012.

As a member of the town council, he represented Fort Myers Beach on committees including the Southwest Florida Planning Council and the Human Resources Council. In 2006, he received the "Citizen of the Year" award from the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce.

Commissioner Kiker has an MBA from Northeastern University in Boston, Mass. He worked for major corporations throughout the United States for 20 years before moving to southwest Florida in 1995. He relocated to the area to pursue his passion for fishing and boating. He became a United States Coast Guard licensed captain and has charted offshore fishing and diving excursions for more than 10 years.

He replaces TDC Chairman John Manning.

The nine-member TDC was established by the BOCC in 1983 to increase tourism to Lee County.

VCB welcomes new member to staff

The Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau welcomed a new member to its staff: Thomas Grissom, senior account clerk.

Grissom will work with the VCB to provide additional expertise to its operations. Some of his responsibilities will include monitoring contracts, processing purchase order requests and verifying invoices.

Most recently, Grissom held a position as owner/procurement analyst for TNC Holdings, Inc. in Cutler Bay, Fla. His duties included performing audits, coordinating and completing purchase requisition packages, generating statistical reports and monitoring accounts.

Grissom, an Air Force veteran, holds a bachelor's degree in aeronautics management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a master's degree in administration from Florida International University.